Marshmallows
by Beauty Mouse
Summary: As far as first meetings go, it could have gone better. -University!era 10051 hints- Fluff.


AN: Still only implied 10051, I guess it could be called pre-slash. I'm still testing the waters here, so if the characters are way outta left field let me know. Also if my writing flatout stinks that's good to know too. We're allowed some flops, right?

This was inspired by a "scene" in So Long, and Thanks for All The Fish, I read it and thought that Byakuran would totally do something like that, but maybe I'm nuts? It's quite possible. Either way, I hope you enjoy this quick little first meeting.

Warnings: Possibly OOC, fluffy, nonsensical

* * *

**Marshmallows**

* * *

This wasn't happening. Obviously. There was just no way that man did what it looked like he just did. It must have been some sort of hallucination brought on by severe lack of sleep and perhaps a bit of jetlag. That was the only reasonable explanation because there was no way—

Holy shit.

He did it again!

Shouichi stared hard at the strange man who had plopped himself down across from him at the picnic table. The man smiled, a childishly innocent smile. The redhead was not fooled. It was only his second day at the university, second day in America, but he could sense this white-haired gentleman was no gentleman at all.

The not-gentleman casually went to do it a third time and Shouichi could hardly believe it. Was this what Americans were like? He'd heard they could be rude, self-centered, bigoted, pragmatic idiots, but this? Culture shock or no, this was too far. Shouichi had to draw the line.

"Stop that!" He shouted, giving voice to every ounce of exasperation he felt. Impossibly, the other man's grin broadened. No apology, no explanation, no embarrassment, nothing. Just a sweet smile that would have melted anyone's heart—save one Japanese exchange student.

And then a forth affront on Shouichi's sense of propriety!

Americans!

"Enough! You've taken four of my marshmallows already! They're mine!" Shouichi didn't care how juvenile he sounded. The marshmallows were _his_ damn it!

Ever so nonchalantly the older male leaned over and stole a fifth, which he had the gall to pop into his mouth _sensuously_. Not that Shouichi was at all impressed.

"They're very tasty~" was all the man said as he reached out a sixth time.

"No! Quit it!" Shouichi barked and finally thought to grab the bag of confections and keep them out of the other's reach. There was a moment he actually felt triumphant. Only a moment though.

A spark danced into existence in those hauntingly violet eyes. It was a look Shouichi would not forget. It spoke volumes and those volumes reiterated one thing: **Challenge Accepted**.

Like lightning, like a freaking bolt of freaking lightning, the man was out of his seat and on Shouichi's side of the table. The redhead was so startled he didn't move—couldn't move really—and that gave the white-haired larcenist more than enough time to snatch the bag.

"O-oi!" Shouichi managed to shout, native Japanese slipping out due to sheer frustration at the absurdity of what was happening, and made a grab for the marshmallows. It was an exercise in futility.

The white-haired, purple-eyed bastard easily held it above Shouichi, who cursed his small stature. He was only sixteen and had plenty of time to grow, but the other was clearly enjoying the impressive difference in height between them currently.

The redhead almost quipped, "How's the air up there?" but then he remembered that he'd read that particular line in an out-dated English joke book his father had bought on his first business trip to America, so he held his tongue and bit his lower lip.

"Maa~ How cute~" The other teased and Shouichi wasn't sure what, exactly, was so cute but he felt his cheeks growing warmer regardless.

"Give them back!" Shouichi ordered. He knew it was absolutely ridiculous. Here he was, an emancipated minor—not that there was anything wrong with his family, it was just difficult to have them sign papers all the time, especially now that he was in another country—in his Junior year of college, resorting to jumping up and down in a vain attempt to take back a bag of marshmallows his mother packed for him. It was grade school all over again.

He landed hard on his feet, his knees bending to help keep the force distributed evenly, and he glared. Emerald boring into Amethyst.

"Fine," Shouichi relented, merely sounding a pinch petulant, "you can have the rest. I have better things to do."

He took a step back and gathered his things, just noticing the stares he and the white-haired psycho had earned. He kept his gaze downward from then on. How mortifying.

"That's no fun."

Was that a dejected tone? Was that guy_ pouting_?

Shouichi whipped around, his expression one of total bafflement. Despite the tone, the man was smiling and popping another of Shouichi's marshmallows in his mouth. The bag was now at his chest instead of his head, easily within reach for Shouichi.

"It's not my job to entertain you," Shouichi retorted and he couldn't help that the gears in his brain started planning out a strategy that would allow him to both obtain and keep his confections. He didn't understand. He hardly even liked marshmallows.

"This is insane," He mumbled to himself and he shouldered his bag, careful to put it on the correct shoulder. He needed his left arm free and mobile in order to snatch the bag as he walked passed the other. He made it look natural. As if he didn't have a care in world.

Shouichi mentally calculated his steps. If he took too many before the grab it would force him to reach backwards and it would make the angle rather awkward, thus jeopardizing his chance of success. Too few, and the other would see, and if his rapid shift from seated-to-standing was any indication: he was quick, and would easily outmaneuver Shouichi and prevent the grab.

With a flourish, the redhead seized the bag and drew it to his own chest, he felt a smile tug at his lips and exhilaration blossom. He should have been embarrassed at feeling so thrilled, but he didn't, probably because he was too busy feeling thrilled.

A hand wrapped around his midsection and swiftly pulled him in, effectively pinning him to a broad chest.

Damn inhuman speed.

"Not so fast~" The other male whispered in his ear and with his free hand he tried to wrest the bag away. Shouichi curled his body, something that would hopefully break the hold and keep the bag out of reach. It didn't break the hold, but the other student seemed to be having a difficult time of reclaiming the marshmallows—now squished into lumpy globs.

The white-haired lunatic loosened the hold just enough to give him use of both limbs, and instead of tugging upwards and being blocked by Shouichi's torso, he tugged the bag _down_ and the slick, plastic material slid smoothly out of the redhead's grasp.

"Got it~" He cawed in triumphant glee. Shouichi instantly straightened and rounded on him, but not rapidly enough to steal the marshmallows back, the bag was already over the other's head and dangling just beyond his outstretched fingertips.

The man brought his other hand up and pulled out a clump of them, which he subsequently ate, of course. Shouichi crossed his arms and made a stern face, which the other laughed at.

"Maa~ How cute~" He said again while he retrieved what was left in the bag, it looked like two or three plastered together, and Shouichi moved to turn and walk away. He had no reason to watch the man eat the last of them, and he certainly wasn't going to stick around the throw the bag away.

"Open wide~" The man cooed and gently pressed the amalgamation of marshmallows to the sixteen-year-old's lips. Out of habit, Shouichi went to protest without fully comprehending that he would be opening his mouth as the other had asked. The man pushed the confection in, allowing it to melt on Shouichi's tongue and giving him a taste of his fingers.

The redhead spluttered in indignation, causing the older to laugh again. For whatever reason, the teenager associated the sound with windchimes, or something equally musical in nature.

"You're insane!" Shouichi exclaimed, quite content in ignoring his own role in what transpired between them. Why on earth hadn't he just given him the stupid marshmallows?

"No," the other said with an amused lilt, "I'm Byakuran!"

Shouichi swallowed. No. No way. This couldn't be.

"Bya-Byakuran…?" He prompted.

"Gesso."

Shouichi blinked owlishly. This guy? This white-haired, purple-eyed, psychotic, thieving, not-at-all-a-gentleman was the man that Shouichi was supposed to befriend?

He doesn't remember what happened after that revelation, but Byakuran assured him that he fainted and that he was happy to carry Shouichi to the campus clinic and that his fainting-face was very cute too.

Shouichi was not comforted by that knowledge, nor was he comforted by the fact that Byakuran had _somehow_ obtained another bag of marshmallows—the kind found in Japan.

* * *

And that is why marshmallows are Byakuran's favorite~

Happy New Year!


End file.
